Getting Away: The ultimate summer read from the author of THIS FAMILY and THE STRANDING

by Kate Sawyer

"Gripping - and profound... Kate Sawyer has a great gift for capturing the tiny details that tell us everything about a person or dynamic." -- Marian Keyes

"From its brilliant, ambitious premise (a story told through family holidays) to its complex and wholly absorbing characters, Getting Away is a moving insight into the beautiful complexity of ordinary lives." -- Jennie Godfrey

Margaret Smith is at the beach.
It is a summer day unlike any other Margaret has ever known.
The Smith family have left the town where they live and work and go to school and come to a place where the sky is blue, the sand is white, and the sound of the sea surrounds them. An ordinary family discovering the joy of getting away for the first time.
Over the course of the coming decades, they will be transformed through their holiday experiences, each new destination a backdrop as the family grows and changes, love stories begin and end -- and secrets are revealed.
Coming this summer, Getting Away is a dazzlingly ambitious new novel from the author of Waterstones' Fiction Book of the Month, This Family , and the Costa shortlisted The Stranding.

Genres: Fiction, Summer, Family, Book Club, Contemporary, Modern, Adult Fiction

Audible Audio

Published July 3, 2025

About the author

Kate Sawyer worked as an actor and producer, and wrote several short films before turning her hand to fiction. She is the author of three novels: Getting Away, Waterstones Fiction Book of The Month, This Family, and her debut novel, The Stranding, which was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, won the East Anglian fiction prize, was adapted for BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime.

When Kate isn't writing, or talking to other authors about their writing practices for her podcast Novel Experience and as a chair for author events, she is the Artistic Director for the annual Bury St Edmunds Literature Festival.

After twenty years living in London, she recently returned to her native East Anglia, where she lives with her young daughter.

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a decent multigenerational storyline but it was so hard to remember who’s who and which one is married to someone. It follows one family through many decades and I just didn’t have the concentration needed to keep everyone straight. Really, 2.5 stars rounded to 3.

[Rita Egan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Getting Away
By Kate Sawyer

I love a book with an interesting structure and the idea to follow one family over several generations through their summer holidays is very interesting, especially as a summer read.

Sawyer maps the evolution of holidaymaking from the perspective of a British working class family, from day trips to the likes of Bognor or Skegness in the 1930s, the Butlins holiday camp of the 1960s, the costa package tours of the 70s and beyond into the more individualised holidays we seek today.

There's plenty to get nostalgic about as she also places each chapter firmly in it's own time as food and fashion change so do social norms and expectations. So much so, that at times the narrative becomes bogged down in lists that are bent into sentences, rather like those Ladybird early readers.

The family members are clearly presented and distinct, however I would have loved a family tree to refer to, because I kept mixing up Rob and Joe and forgetting who Caroline was to them, and then when their children were born, I kept mixing up Betty and Maggie. I think their stories were too narrow, too staccato to stick. An important detail might emerge midway into the new time period and I feel the author made me work to keep all the stories straight, rather like only tuning in on random days to a long running soap.

Very interesting premise, but the structure acts less as a framework and more like a cage. Entertaining as a study of the habits of the British tourist, but probably not memorable as a family saga.

Publication Date:3rd July 2025
Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC

[Emma Alvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful, moving, profound and original, Getting Away is a gorgeous multi-generational family saga that is perfect for summer. A story of family, love, secrets and trauma that follows multiple generations of one family, telling the story through the lens of their family holidays over 90 years. This book consumed me. Once I started reading it was impossible to put down and I devoured it in almost one sitting, stopping only because I had to eat. And when it finished I was bereft, unwilling to say goodbye to this family that I’d followed through so many decades.

Kate Sawyer is a masterful storyteller. I fell in love with her writing the moment I read her debut, The Stranding, in 2021 and she just gets better with each book. Exquisitely written, complex and deeply human, this is a masterpiece. Filled with sun, sand and sea, this is the perfect summer read whether you’re reading on a beach or at home, transporting you to the various destinations over the years. Those settings are a huge part of the story and this is where Sawyer’s evocative storytelling shines, bringing them to life so vividly that it was like I was there. I found it interesting to see how their holidays changed over the decades and enjoyed watching them experience new things such as their first time abroad, eating new foods and their first plane rides. It made me think about how many aspects of modern life we take for granted and the privileges we enjoy when it comes to travelling. But this book is much more than a fluffy summer read. It is also honest, deep and raw. This is a family filled with secrets from the start and Sawyer explores the ripple effects the secrets have on the whole family. She also explores topics such as generational trauma, domestic abuse, sexual assault, infertility and sexuality, never shying away from the uncomfortable and painful aspects of these issues, but also writing them with compassion.

For a character-driven story to work, you need great characters that you can connect with. And Sawyer knows how to do that perfectly, filling this book’s pages with characters who are achingly human and relatable. Sawyer knows how to forge a connection between her reader and her characters, making you feel everything with them at each step. And there are many emotional moments as we follow these characters through so many years, watching most of the characters go from childhood to adolescence and then adulthood, walking with them as they experience the highs, lows, trials and tribulations of life in a changing world. I also found it interesting to see how their holidays changed over the decades and enjoyed watching them experience new things such as their first time abroad, eating new foods and their first plane rides. It made me think about how many aspects of modern life we take for granted and the privileges we enjoy when it comes to travelling.

An absolute gem of a book, Getting Away is a must have addition to your summer TBR.

[Linzi Ingham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the concept of this book, following a family holiday throughout the decades and showing the changes and how family come and go.

However I also felt that this made the book feel really disjointed and it made it a bit difficult to follow. It felt as though characters were dropped in, already being such a massive part of the family, but because the book just covered the yearly holiday, you missed introductions to these characters and how they came about. I had to really think about who was who and I think this then just confused me.

overall, I didn't massively enjoy the book but did feel I could continue to read it.

[Linda Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It is a family saga, starting in the 1940s, following the story of the Smith family. What is different is that the story unfolds on family holidays as the years go by. This gave it an interesting edge. I liked the characters and there were lots of twists and turns in the story.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.

[Lynne Davidson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A novel following one family’s holidays over many decades, showing how the family changes over the years. The focus is primarily on Maggie who starts the novel as a young girl and ends it as a great grandmother.
I liked the premise of this but it just didn’t grab my attention as I’d hoped it would. I liked Maggie and I was interested in parts of the story to see what happened to her, but I didn’t race home desperate to continue reading.

[Justin Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A family saga that spans decades and covers lots of events and family interactions.
This is by no means groundbreaking but is highly readable and a well put together novel.
3.5 rounded up to 4 for me as, I don't think it was as good or imaginative as her previous offering the The Stranding.

[Mrs]

It’s an interesting premise, holidays through the decades, from rare days out to the seaside, to Butlins, to package holidays, buying properties in Spain.
We follow a family- because of a serious of unfortunate events, and a very fertile family, there are many generations by the end. Elizabeth fell pregnant, and Jim steps in to save the day. Maggie fell pregnant, and Elizabeth steps in. There is so much packed in, I felt that we didn’t get to spend enough time with the characters, nor reflect upon the traumatic events- there is murder, rape and domestic abuse. I think it called for a longer book, or even a series.

[Vanessa Rooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different but just lovely

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the 1930s to the 2020s, this book follows Margaret and her family through a series of holidays over the intervening decades.

While I liked the idea of the concept and structure, I found it actually suffocates the story lines; no-one is allowed any space to explore the myriad different lines that come up, everything is so surface to cover so many decades. It also gets a little confusing as to who belongs to who, familial wise.

[Lynda Woodfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book which is about a family and is told in segments of 10 years from the 1930s to present day, when they are on various holidays - an unusual format, but it really works. In each segment the reader gets to know what has happened to the family over the last decade, and a real sense of the periods involved and the characters and how they changed as they aged. I am genuinely sorry to have to leave them all behind now I have finished the novel and will certainly read more by Kate Sawyer

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to follow the evolution of the British notion of a holiday, and I enjoyed the references to the social trends of each passing decade. While the book was an easy read, I was disappointed not to feel more engaged with any member of the family. Possibly a 3.5

[Rita · Rating 1 out of 5]

At page 118 and doubt I’ll manage to finish it as definitely not my type of book sorry

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Smith family are at the seaside. For young Margaret, this is her first getaway and so exciting, but it brings mixed emotions for her parents - especially her mother Elizabeth. Over the years, the Smith family grows. Each generation is altered by their own getaways as love, loss, pain, pleasure, and secrets take their toll...

Having read Sawyer's incredible last book, This Family, which takes place over a single day, I knew how beautifully she can capture the shifting dynamics within a family, particularly when it comes to the fall out when secrets are revealed.

In this gorgeous follow-up story, Sawyer ups her game by spreading out the saga of her literary family over a whopping time span from the 1920s to the 2020s, with a whole new twist on the domestic drama angle by only dropping in on them during significant family holidays and getaways in each decade. This is a really interesting way to tell their story, as you find yourself catching up on the events of intervening years solely through their interactions when they are away from home - ostensibly having a good time on the surface, but each musing on their own secrets and heartache.

As the points of view switch back and forth between the characters, starting with the small set-up of Margaret and her parents, and widening to incorporate sons, daughters, and their romantic partners down through the generations, these moments are curiously enough to tell a detailed account of their history, love stories, triumphs and tragedies. You find your heartstrings getting a good work out as they reach relationship milestones, and work through the ripples of their revelations in time. There are big waves and small, but Sawyer manages to give each of them equal power, which is very impressive.

This is one of those books that meanders and comes full circle, working its way under your skin in the process. There is a lot of sadness in these pages, especially when it comes to generational trauma, but there are also hopeful and tender moments that deeply touch your heart. Once again, Sawyer proves that she can get to the crux of knotty family dynamics, and explore the complexities of love, loss coming of age, break-ups and reconciliations with a deft touch. I loved it.

[Simon S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rather wonderful book follows the fortunes of four generations of a British family. Following a brief near-contemporary prologue we are back in the 1930s, joining Elizabeth, husband Jim, and her young daughter Margaret on the coach, a works outing to the coast. Elizabeth is tense and angry, something her daughter – excited for the seaside - can sense, but not understand. Her mood improves as the journey progresses, only to turn sour once more as they arrive to find the factory owner waiting by his big car. Bill Lacey, charming, handsome, and freshly returned from America some years after his family sent him far from the temptation of Elizabeth, the daughter of one of their domestic staff.

The shadows of their secrets and lies are cast across Elizabeth’s family over the intervening years, shaping their experiences of love and loss through the generations. With great effect, not to mention ingenuity, Sawyer tells the story in snatches, during holidays, long weekends, trips abroad – the “Getting Away” of the title. This works so well, pulling the characters out of their element and into unfamiliar circumstances before the scrutiny of friends, siblings and parents where any tensions must hum submerged. A holiday can be a chance to escape, refresh and reflect, but the backpacks and cases are often not the only baggage which needs handling.

That thing which should have been said years ago, well it just might get said tonight and – far away from home - love may have to take its chances.

Sawyer’s tight third-person narration brings us close enough to touch, and be touched by, her characters, and – in another brilliant stroke – she often gives us no direct dateline. Instead, we get the 1970s, or the 1990s, and she will render the span of a trip with no clear chronology, events in order but how long since the previous paragraph? A day? Two? A week? It feels like firm but imprecise recollection, very human, intimate and affecting.

A dazzling tale of women’s resilience, and the power of familial love.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting Away by Kate Sawyer is a tender, immersive novel that spans a century in the lives of the Smith family.
I was completely captivated by it. Sawyer takes the familiar act of taking a holiday and turns it into something richly layered, revealing love, loss, resilience and how British society has evolved across generations.

Told in perfectly chosen snapshots, each chapter captures a different decade and a distinct holiday, from the 1930s to the 2020s. The structure is both smart and deeply affecting, encouraging you to read between the lines and feel the weight of what’s left unsaid. I found this structure deeply satisfying and utterly unique.
What stayed with me most was how Sawyer explores themes in this novel. There is something so thoughtful in her focus on how people carry on, how emotions settle and linger. Her writing is gentle but full of depth, and more than once, I found myself unexpectedly moved. It’s less about the places they visit and more about what they’re escaping.

The characters in Getting Away completely won me over. Each one felt honest and deeply familiar, as though I had known them all my life. Every trip brings a turning point, a quiet shift, or a reckoning. Betty and Maggie, in particular, will stay with me. I adored them. Their journeys felt incredibly real, and I felt lucky to walk alongside these incredible women.
There is a thoughtful political thread running through the novel too. Class, gender, work, and freedom weave naturally through the lives of the Smiths. The choices and chances of the younger generation feel rooted in hard-earned progress, built on years of struggle and quiet rebellion. It made me think of my own history and the struggles my family faced.

Kate Sawyer is quickly becoming one of my absolute favourite authors. Getting Away is heartfelt, wise, and written with such care. This novel is a must.

[AD/PR] Thank you so much to @mskatesawyer and @zaffrebooks for the advanced copy. Publishing 3rd July 💙

[Katy's Book Den · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful read following a particular family through the decades and the times when they come together for family holidays.

Full of nostalgia from decades past, we explore relationships, trauma, buried secrets, love, loss and loyalty, betrayal and more!

A trauma suffered early on in the book to one of the characters is the underlying thread to future decisions and events over the years and we watch this slowly weave its way out.

This is not a fast-paced book. It’s an atmospheric read, an exploration of life, family dynamics, growth, and the events that shape us.

I read this whilst on holiday myself. Perfect!
I particularly loved following the characters of Maggie and Elizabeth. They were well-developed and I felt invested in their storyline.

As the book progressed there were new characters introduced and sometimes I couldn’t remember who they were or how they related to some of the main characters without backtracking. As such, I wasn’t quite as invested in them or their storylines. I felt there were other areas I wanted to delve deeper into and develop, such as Tommy being aware of what had happened to his sister. Other areas too but I can’t mention for fear of spoiling the plot.

I did enjoy this book. I have all three of Kate Sawyer’s books, and the amazing thing is that they are all so incredibly different. I think my top favourite is The Stranding but the author is also brilliant at exploring family dynamics and relationships and she is very skilled at adapting her style of writing to suit. She’s incredibly clever at this!

A journey through the decades.

[Aoife Cassidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kate Sawyer is one of my favourite contemporary fiction writers. The Stranding is an all-time favourite book of mine, and This Family is a gorgeous, immersive family saga reminiscent of writers past. And so, Getting Away was a hugely anticipated read for me, one I preordered in hardback.

Before exploring what didn’t work for me, let’s look at what is done well. The plot device or hook is very clever - this is the story of generations of the one family, and the holidays they take over the course of almost a century. It charts their lives, loves and losses, their secrets, lots and heartbreaks.

The author captures the zeitgeist of each decade really well, with little cultural references sprinkled in to ground you in the times you’re reading about. She charts the changes in society, among them women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, equality, class, wealth, and so on.

What didn’t work so well for me was the characters themselves. Because we’re dipping in and out of their lives in vignettes, we’re only really getting glimpses of who they are and so I never really became attached to any of them, bar perhaps Maggie/Margaret. There was one plot point that I felt was never resolved (involving Penny and Susan) and I kept wondering if I had missed something.

Lovely writing, a clever premise, an atmospheric summer read, but perhaps just a bit laboured by the end, constrained by the plot device. Still going to preorder whatever Kate Sawyer writes next. 3.5/5 ⭐️

[Sinead Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Getting Away by Kate Sawyer* is the brand new release from the author of one of my all-time favourite books, The Stranding, and of the wonderful,This Family. The concept is super unique: an intricate slice-of-life novel charting the holiday experiences of one family over the course of a century and the ripple effect of what happens when there.  

Maggie is a child in 1930s England and her first trip to the seaside is the height of excitement in her small life. But, to her parents Elizabeth and Jim, it is an occasion fraught with friction, remorse and long-buried secrets. As the decades pass and the family grows new branches, the holidays become more exotic but the emotions of that earliest of trips linger, often times bringing with them a shift in the family that is felt for decades do come. 


This is such an intelligent concept and narrative style in which Sawyer succeeds in exploring social issues that have withstood the passage of time - gender, sexuality, class structure and abuse - through various lenses. While this isn't my favourite of Sawyer’s books (I wasn't overly drawn to any of the many characters and found the family tree hard to keep straight in my head the further through the years we progressed), I still read it in one sitting during a recent 15-hour A&E wait (all fine, TG) and think it will prove to be a standout of 2025 holiday reading.

[Tea Leaves and Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stranding actually stole my heart and I haven’t loved Kate Sawyer’s writing as much since then. Until now! Absolutely nothing wrong with ‘This Family’ which is Kate’s second novel, but it wasn’t The Stranding and my heart just didn’t like that at all. But enough time has passed, perhaps… Enter, ‘Getting Away’ – Kate’s latest novel, fresh off the press and in a beautiful independent bookshop edition, signed with sprayed edges.

Getting Away spans a century of one family’s holidays, using those escapes to capture Britain’s social change. It’s a character-led book, easy to read and become immersed in, and there will be plenty to talk about too. It has nostalgia, in the snippets of this family life we are drawn to each period of time with the little things that were poignant back then. Telegrams, postcards, emails… the book draws us ever nearer to the present day but in a gentle, almost stealthy, way.

The characters aren’t perfect, and don’t we love that? Real people. Gritty people. People who behave badly. The good and the bad. Reality.

Kate Sawyer is one of those Authors who makes me want to write. I finish her books and feel energised to bring chapters together and characters to life. She is a writer you aspire to be. Getting Away is tender & wise, profound and original. And it has to be your next read.

[KathVBtn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Sawyer’s latest novel is utterly charming, and beautifully readable, full of stories of love, connection and family. As soon as I started reading it I was mesmerised by both the storyline and the wonderful writing that swept me up.

It’s the story of one ordinary family connected through the generations. The threads that link back and forward are beautifully woven in, with Easter egg clues sprinkled throughout, giving you those moments where you stop and revisit what you have already read, looking at it with fresh eyes.

It starts with a present day family trip to the beach and then swiftly rewinds almost a century earlier to Margaret visiting the same beach with her mother and father. We know that Margaret is one of the family members in the present day family set up, but now we wind back to her childhood and memories of her own parents.

Each character is treated with such care and tenderness they felt very real and very special. I’m sorry to say I haven’t read Kate Sawyer’s earlier books yet but I am rushing back just to sort that out right now. She is a very gifted and talented author with a special gift for taking an everyday situation and drawing out the treasures buried within it.

[Rachael Stray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting Away by Kate Sawyer is a beautifully written, multi-generational family saga that swept me away from the very first page.

Told through the lens of family holidays over a span of ninety years, this is a story about love, secrets, trauma and resilience – one that manages to be both nostalgic and deeply moving.

The premise itself is clever and original.

By dropping in on the same family only during their holidays – from seaside trips in the 1930s, Butlins camps in the 60s, package tours to Spain in the 70s, all the way to more modern getaways – Sawyer not only maps the changing dynamics of the family but also captures the evolution of British holidaymaking.

The result is both intimate and expansive, mixing personal drama with social history.

Sawyer excels at creating characters who feel utterly human. They are flawed, complex, sometimes frustrating, but always believable.

Over the decades we watch them grow, stumble, fall in love, make mistakes, and carry secrets that ripple across generations.

Themes of domestic abuse, sexual assault, infertility and sexuality are woven into the narrative with sensitivity, adding depth without ever feeling heavy-handed.

At the same time, there are moments of joy, humour and tenderness that keep the book from becoming weighed down by its darker threads.

The settings are vividly brought to life – I could feel the sand between my toes, taste the first exotic foods they tried abroad, and sense the excitement of stepping onto a plane for the first time.

It’s an evocative, sensory reading experience that transports you through time and place with ease.

If I have one minor quibble, it’s that with such a wide cast spanning decades, it can be a little tricky to keep track of who’s who at times. A family tree would have been a helpful addition. But this is a small point in what is otherwise a stunningly crafted novel.

It is profound, original, and filled with heart. A book that lingers long after the final page – and one I wholeheartedly recommend.

Perfect for anyone who loves a sweeping family saga with real emotional depth.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jackiesreadingcorner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautifully written novel spans four generations, chronicling the lives, loves, and losses of one family. It opens with a simple yet evocative scene: the family gathered on a beach. From there, the narrative travels back to the 1930s, where a pivotal memory from the same beach sets the tone for the decades of secrets and emotional legacies that follow.

In 1930, Elizabeth, her husband Jim, and their young daughter Margaret are on a coach headed to the seaside for a works outing. Margaret is brimming with excitement to see the sea, but Elizabeth seems withdrawn. Her mood lifts slightly as they approach the coast—until the sight of factory owner Bill Lacey waiting by his car unsettles her. Elizabeth’s mother once worked for the Lacey family, and Elizabeth and Bill had shared a close childhood bond, severed when his father sent him to America.

From this moment, the novel reveals itself as a tapestry woven with hidden truths and buried emotions. Told through shifting perspectives and across decades—from the 1930s through the 2000s—the story follows holidays, weekends away, and travels abroad. Each chapter marks a moment in time, sometimes within the same decade, sometimes years later, giving the story an organic and fluid sense of time passing.

At its heart, the book explores how families carry emotional “baggage” through generations—not just in the metaphorical sense, but often quite literally during these family trips. As time moves on, relationships end, new ones begin, old loves re-emerge, and long-kept secrets finally come to light. Through these journeys, the story gently but powerfully captures the changing dynamics of both the world and the family.

The characters grow on you, and while it can be a bit tricky at times to remember who belongs to whom, especially with the expanding family tree, each character feels authentic. Some you’ll love; others may frustrate you—but all are vividly drawn. The narrative is particularly anchored by Elizabeth and Margaret, with Margaret’s reflections eventually bringing the reader full circle to the book’s opening scene.

This is a well-crafted, deeply moving story that highlights the resilience of women and the enduring strength of family ties. Rich in atmosphere and emotion, it captures how the past is never truly behind us—and how love, memory, and forgiveness shape who we become.

[Jo_Scho_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. A beautifully written, multi generational, story of a family, unusual in the way that memories and life are revealed in a series of holiday vignettes over each passing decade. The story begins in the 1930s when Margaret Smith is just a young girl, holidaying at the beach with her mother and father. A much anticipated and longed for holiday. But even back then, secrets are casting shadows which will hang over this family for many, many years. And as the family grows, evolves and spreads over each separate decade, it’s fascinating to observe and witness the changes, both within the Smith family and in the outside world.

This was such a clever and original book. Yes, moving into a new decade with each chapter takes concentration and focus. But it was intriguing to see each character develop; see young girls grow into women, baby boys into men, mothers into grandmothers. I found it so thought provoking to watch the passage of time occur in such a way, it felt quite emotional, intimate even.

With authentic characters and a moving and original plot, Getting Away is a great summer holiday read. Get this one in your suitcase!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would describe this as an episodic family saga; the story extends over 10 decades from 1930's through to present day, with a distinct episode dedicated to each decade. The USP is that each section takes place during a 'holiday' or period away from quotidian experiences for the protagonists. We begin the tale through the eyes of young Margaret, ostensibly the child of Elizabeth (Betty) and Jim, a working class couple out on a works coach party to the seaside. Jim seeks to better himself in difficult economic times in the local family firm, Lacey's, whose son and heir, Bill, newly returned from America was a youthful beau of Betty. This relationship over-arches the whole narrative. The family fortunes ebb and flow over successive decades, with a degree of social commentary and some (cumulatively) unlikely events and coincidences. Never the less, the story telling is engaging, well-paced and the characterisation surprisingly well detailed within the ambit of the brief events detailed. It was an undemanding but engrossing holiday read (and, incidentally, a beautifully produced hard-back edition).

[Bestbookforward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was over the moon when my copy of Getting Away by Kate Sawyer arrived as I love her books so much. I started reading it straight away and fell completely in love with the Smith family.

The concept of tracing a family’s journey through their holidays is so cleverly executed and it really drew me in to the story, I felt part of this family. Beneath the surface of the seemingly ordinary Smith family lies a tapestry of secrets and complex relationships that Kate explores with so much empathy. Kate’s writing is, as always, so elegant; I’ve marked several pages that I want to revisit as I loved the way she explores some really difficult topics, that I’m sure many will relate to.

While Getting Away is described as “the holiday read of a lifetime” it is so much more than a holiday read; it’s an emotional journey that you won’t forget. I loved every page, every decade, with the Smith family when I turned the last page I felt like I was going to really miss them but I’m sure that this is a novel that I will remember for a long time.

(Copy gifted by the publisher)

[Elizabeth Currie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting Away is a cleverly conceived and beautifully written family saga, the story of the Smith family spanning from the 1930s to the present day.

What makes this book somewhat different is that we only dip into the family’s life in each decade when they are on holiday, where a chance to relax also offers a chance to reflect, on both good and bad.

What I love about Sawyer’s writing is the way in which she gets to the heart of complicated family dynamics, treats challenging subjects with remarkable sensitivity and ensures the reader becomes fully invested in her characters. It is a story full of emotion, there is much that will move you as you take the utterly believable characters to your heart. And with an ending that takes the story full circle, I for one felt sad to be leaving the complicated but enthralling world of the Smiths behind.

I have loved Sawyer’s previous books but I loved this even more - she has definitely been added to my auto-buy list!

[Vicki Swift · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what this book was really about, I was just attracted by the cover and the fact that it involved holidays - and I adored it!

It focuses on one family's trips away across many decades and generations, and how those trips embody, heighten, and alter whatever is going on in their lives at that time. I loved the characters and how we get to journey with them through every stage of their life. I loved all the different holiday settings around the world. The writing was accomplished, and the pacing was spot on; the author fitted a lot of life into this one book and consequently I couldn't put it down.

This is the perfect holiday read wherever you're going. I'm now off to read This Family, in the hope that it's more of the same from Kate Sawyer!

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first time she went to the seaside Margaret was entranced, the second time ended badly. Throughout her life and the lives of her extended family, holidays have been central and then bring to the surface all the changes and events in their lives.
This is a rather hypnotically lovely book to read. The idea is great, a family story told through a series of holiday vignettes and this allows Sawyer to explore lots of different themes. I loved the fact that even the most horrific events were not described in detail - rape, murder, cancer - instead they are alluded to in the middle of telling the personal stories of the protagonists. There are lots of little storylines that weave around each other over the course of book and each is short and beautifully formed. A reflection of the times as well as the people, this is a book that satisfies.

[Cosy Midlife Book Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

💬 My Bookish Thoughts
What a fascinating and immersive read. I loved the concept of following a family across decades through their holidays — watching how their relationships evolve, secrets simmer beneath the surface, and British holiday culture changes over time.

I felt completely absorbed in the dynamics between the characters. It's got everything: love, heartbreak, secrets, and travel — all set against the backdrop of sun, sand, and shifting tides.

A real page-turner to lose yourself in — especially by the pool or on the beach. The cover perfectly captures the vibe of a nostalgic family holiday snap.

This was my first Kate Sawyer novel… but it won’t be my last.

🙏🏼 Huge thanks to @netgalley, @bonnierbooks_uk, and @katesawyer for the gifted digital copy in exchange for my honest review.